Recognizing and congratulating the East Boynton Beach, Florida, Little League team as the 2003 United States Little League Champions.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, this past August, some of the best young athletes from around

the country gathered in historic Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to compete in America's favorite past time at the 2003 Little League Championships. Today, I stand with my colleagues from Palm Beach County, the gentlemen from Florida (Mr. Wexler) (Mr. Foley) and (Mr. Hastings), to honor these boys from my home district who captured the United States championship.

Just as we honor their victory with this resolution, I want to especially compliment them on their spirit and their sportsmanship which became legendary in this series. These are the character traits that deliver victory and most certainly enabled them to bring home the championship to East Boynton Beach.

So let me first start by congratulating the boys from the East Boynton Beach Little League team: Michael, Richard, Cody, Jordan, Patrick, R.J., Matt, Ricky, Benny, Devon, and Andrew, who are also known as this year's United States Little League World Series Champions.

While we all recognize their outstanding achievements, we also recognize that children do not get there on their own. In each of our lives, there are people we remember who have helped shape our character along the way: role models who helped make our choices clearer, role models who make our defeats less painful and our victories even sweeter, role models who teach us through their encouragement and support. As we grow older, we come to recognize the scope and impact of their influence and that influence as it has affected our lives.

The boys from East Boynton Beach are surely no exception to this rule. They have been reared by loving parents who, no doubt, sacrificed much of this past year. To make their sons' dreams come true, they chauffeured them to countless practices and packed the family up to cheer at games all season long. When the boys were on the field, they were coached by the best in the league, led by manager Kenny Emerson, assisted by coaches Joe Irene and Tony Travis. These role models not only taught the team how to play top-grade baseball on the field, but also taught them the best way to conduct themselves when they are off the field.

So for all of these reasons, I am proud to bring to the attention of the United States House of Representatives the phenomenal achievements of these fine young men from Florida's 22nd Congressional District. Their victory brought East Boynton Beach great recognition, as it has indeed all of Palm Beach County and the State of Florida. But it was their teamwork and their sportsmanship that brought us all the greatest of pride. We applaud their effort and are offering this concurrent resolution to honor their spirit, which captured our hearts and brought home the championship. I am sure my colleagues will join me in voting ``yes'' on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution recognizing the accomplishments of the East Boynton Beach Little League team, which have been stated very eloquently, who won the United States Little League championship title this summer.

This Little League team from East Boynton Beach captured the hearts and souls of America this past August through sheer determination, grit, and love for the game of baseball. Out of the 7,000 teams from across the globe participating in the Little League World Series, these young ball players displayed the highest level of sportsmanship and goodwill. I am extremely proud of the way they worked together as a team, as representatives of their community and Nation, and with the greatest amount of respect for their opponents.

I join my colleagues in Congress in congratulating the East Boynton Beach players: Michael Broad, Richie DeJesus, Cody Emerson, Jordan Irene, Patrick Mullen, R.J. Neal, Matt Overton, Ricky Sabatino, Benny Townsend, Devon Travis and Andrew Weaver. I also want to highlight the extraordinary efforts of manager Kenny Emerson and coaches Joe Irene and Tony Travis, individuals who instilled a keen sense of skill, spirit, and confidence in these young men and taught them how to conduct themselves on and, maybe even more importantly, off the field.

Finally, I also want to congratulate and thank those who are often overlooked who are critical to the accomplishments of these teams. East Boynton Beach's success could not have been achieved without the sacrifice of family members as well as the support of fans in Boynton Beach and throughout Florida. Clearly, the backbone of this team is not only the players and the coaches, but also the parents and family members who sacrificed their time, money, and effort to support this team of champions.

Again, I would like to join the gentlemen from Florida (Mr. Shaw) (Mr. Hastings) (Mr. Foley) in congratulating the East Boynton Beach Little League team for winning the United States league championship.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson), I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, 11 preteen boys from East Boynton Beach came within a game of winning the Little League World Series. They lost the Little League game to Japan, but they had a wonderful time playing the game and spending the summer becoming the first team from southern Florida to win the national championship. A pitcher on the East Boynton Beach team said of the Little League World Series game, ``I don't care that we lost. We had a blast.''

Little League baseball was created for just that purpose. In 1938, a man named Carl Stotz hit upon the idea for an organized baseball team for the boys of his hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Mr. Stotz gathered several of the neighborhood children and experimented with different types of equipment and different field dimensions during that summer. In 1939, he enlisted the help of others and formed three teams: Lycoming Dairy, Lundy Lumber, and Jumbo Pretzel.

Mr. Stotz came up with the name Little League, and the first Little League game was played June 6, 1939. His idea was to provide a wholesome program of baseball for the boys of Williamsport as a way to teach them the ideals of sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork.

Carl Stotz would have been proud of the East Boynton Beach team. Sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork are what made them the 2003 United States Little League Champions, an example not often set by the grown-ups involved in the game.

The East Boynton Beach Little League baseball team played with respect and friendship for their coaches, parents, and opposing teams. And all should be commended.

I join the sponsors of this resolution in commending them for their achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler).

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 273) recognizing and congratulating the East Boynton Beach, Florida, Little League team as the 2003 United States Little League Champions.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), the sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I would advise the gentlewoman we have no additional requests for time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 273, and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.